Nanoparticle Applications in Aquaculture Health Management

Nanoparticles have emerged as versatile tools to enhance disease control, environmental quality and nutritional support in modern aquaculture. Metallic and metal-oxide particles at the nanoscale—most notably silver, copper and zinc oxide—exert broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antiviral activity against bacterial and viral pathogens that threaten farmed fish and shellfish. Surface functionalisation with biological ligands or polysaccharide coatings can improve stability, target specificity and biocompatibility, enabling applications in water treatment, biofilm disruption and targeted delivery of therapeutics or vaccines. Graphene-based and polymeric nanoparticles further expand the toolkit for biosensing and immunostimulation. Beyond pathogen inhibition, selected formulations modulate host immune responses and antioxidant defences, promote growth and feed efficiency, and remove excess nutrients and toxins from culture systems. Despite rapid advances, challenges remain in ensuring environmental safety, understanding long-term ecotoxicology and securing regulatory approval. Integration of green synthesis methods and thorough risk-assessment studies will be crucial to realise the full potential of nanotechnology for sustainable health management in aquaculture.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that a dual-combination of silver nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide offers a potent strategy to control multidrug-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio species isolated from tilapia and marine farm waters. In vitro assays revealed bactericidal effects at defined minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, while transcriptional analyses showed significant down-regulation of key virulence genes aerA, exoU and trh. This approach highlights a promising avenue for enhancing biosecurity and mitigating antibiotic resistance in aquaculture environments.

Nanoparticle Applications in Aquaculture Health Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle applications in aquaculture health management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs): Nanoscale metallic particles of silver known for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent required to prevent visible growth of a microorganism.

Virulence genes: Genetic elements encoding factors, such as toxins and enzymes, that enable pathogens to infect and damage hosts.

Graphene oxide: An oxidised form of graphene bearing oxygen-containing functional groups, used for its antibacterial and sensing properties.

Polysaccharide coating: A layer of carbohydrate polymers applied to nanoparticles to enhance stability, biocompatibility and targeted interactions.

References

1. Biogenic silver nanoparticles: Synthesis, applications and challenges in food sector with special emphasis on aquaculture. Food Chemistry X (2023).
2. Management and Mitigation of Vibriosis in Aquaculture: Nanoparticles as Promising Alternatives. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
3. Biocontrol of multidrug resistant pathogens isolated from fish farms using silver nanoparticles combined with hydrogen peroxide insight to its modulatory effect. Scientific Reports (2024).
4. Toxicity and modulation of silver nanoparticles synthesized using abalone viscera hydrolysates on bacterial community in aquatic environment. Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).
5. Aaqueous exposure to silver nanoparticles synthesized by abalone viscera hydrolysates promotes the growth, immunity and gut health of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).